Post-hole-digging machine.



B. M. JONES.

POST HOLE DIGGING MACHINE. APPLICATION man :uuszo, 191x.

1 ,27 1 ,904. 1 Patented July 9, 1918.

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winvesses B. M. JONES; POST HOLE DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, IBM. LWLQWL. Patented July 9,1918.

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POST HOLE DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, Hill. I 1 ,2?1 QQ fatented July 9,1918.

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BUTLER M. JONES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGANv POST-HOLE-DIGGING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July a, 1918.

Application filed June 20, 1917. Serial No. 175,955.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BUTLER MARION JoNEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of \Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-HoleDigging Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved post hole diggingmachine and the principal object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described of the auger type in which there is provided an improved type of carriage slidably mounted upon the standards and to provide improved actuating means for turning the auger and for moving the carriage vertically of the standards or frames. I

Another objectof the invention is to so connect the carriage with the standards that the carriage may have vertical movement but will be held against transverse movement.

'Another object of the invention is to so construct and mount the frames for slidably mounting the carriage that it may be moved to a lowered position when, not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for releasably holding'the carriage in a raised position.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a. view showing the improved post hole digging machine in rear elevation,

Fig. 2 is a View showing the improved machine in front elevation,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. at is a transverse sectional view taken along the line H 0f Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a view showing the carriage 1n rear elevation, a

Fig. 6 is a top. plan view of the improved carriage,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged View showing the upper portion of the frame or derrick in rear elevation, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional View taken along the line 88 of-Fig. 3.

This post hole digging machine is provided with a platform provided with a movable body 10 mounted upon wheels 11 and 12 so that this platform may be 'easlly moved from one point to another along the line where the post holes are to be formed. The frame or derrick is provided with I side standards or posts 13 formedof tubing and provided withvertically extending slots 14 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. These standards are provided at their lower ends with feet 15 engaging the platform 10 and are provided at their upper ends with heads 16 connected by the cross bar or yoke 17' and further providing bearingsto rotatably mount the shaft 18 from which extend hooks 19 and a lever handle 29 so that this shaft may be rotated when desired.

In order to support the frame or derrick there are provided bracing arms 21 hingedly mounted as shown at 22 and provided at their, lower ends with feet 23 engaging the platform to the rear of the feet 15. It will thus be seen that when in use, the frame or derrick may be supported in a vertically extended position and when not in use, may be r and are provided with guiding teeth 25 fitting into the slots 14: of the standards and preventing the side bars from having any tendency toward rotary movement upon the standards. These side bars are connected by cross bars 26, 27 and 28, the lower bars 27 and 28 being provided with bearings 29 to rotatably mount the shaft 30. This shaft 30 is connected with the sockets 21 for the auger 32 by a universal joint as shown at 33 thus permitting the auger to be placed at an angleto cut a. hole at an incline. At the upper end of this shaft 30 there is provided a beveled gear 3-1 meshing with a gear 35 mounted upon the driving shaft 36 so that when the driving shaft is rotated through the medium of the crank handle 37, the auger shaft 30 will be rotated. This driving shaft 36 is rotatably mounted bearings 38 and in addition tothe bevel gear 35 carries gears orpinions 39 slidably mounted and when in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 having engagement with the racks 40 extending longitudinally of the standards 21. The slidabl'y mounted pinions 39 are engaged by the bell crankshifting levers 4:1 pivotedasfshown at 42 and connected with the actuating lever 4:3 by rods or links 44. By moving the actuating lever, the pinions 39 may be moved from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to that shown in Fig. 5 and the shaft 36 can then be rotated Without the pinions acting upon the racks. When the carriage is moved to a raised position and it isdesired to releasably suspend the carriage, the shaft 18 will be rotated tl'n'ough the me dium of the handle 20 and the hooks 19 will engage the eyes 45 thus releasably holding the carriage in the raised position and preventing it from moving downwardly.

When this device is in use, the machine will be carried to the point where the post hole is to be formed and the proper size auger 32 will be connected. with the socket 81.. The shaft 18 can then be moved to release the carriage and by holding the crank handles 27 and turning the shaft 36 with these crank handles, the carriage may be lowered and. the auger brought into engage ment with'the ground. T he actuatinglever 43 will then be moved to draw the pinions 39,

out of engagement with the rack and the v driving shaft 36 will be rotated to rotate the auger shaft 80. The weight of the carriage will be sufficient to apply pressure to the auger and thus cause the auger to cut into the ground and formthe post hole. After the post'hole has been dug the required depth, the pinions will be moved into engagement with the racks and the driving shaft 36 rotated thus causing the carriage to be moved upwardly and draw the auger out of the ground. The hooks' 19 will again be brought into engagement with the eyes 45 and the carriage will be held in a raised position until it is desired to again make use of the post hole digger. If it is desired to put the post hole digging machine away, the

bracing arms 21 can be moved and the frame or derrick lowered to rest upon the platform or body 10. The heads 16 can be removed from the standards 13 and the base or support together with the yoke and shaft 18 placed upon the derrick thus forming a compact mass.

What is claimed is 1. A post hole digging machine comprising a frame including side standards provided with longitudinally extending grooves, a carriage having tubular sidebars split longitudinally and slidably mounted upon. the side standards and provided with teeth fitting into the grooves thereof, racks carried by the standards with the tubular side bars moving upon opposite sides of the racks, a driving shaft rotatably connected with the carriage, an anger shaft l'otatably connected with the carriage and driven from the driving shaft, pinions slidably mounted upon the driving shaft, and means for ad justing the pin-ions longitudinally of the driving shaft and moving the pinions into and out of engagement with the racks.

2. In a device of the character described,

a frame including side standards, bearings and means for operating said carriage and anger.

3. A post hole digging machine comprising a frame including tubular side stand ards, each of said standards being provided with oppositely arranged longitudinal slots, a carriage including side bars engaging and extending more than half way around said standards, ribs formed on each of said side bars and disposed in said slot for sliding movement, eye members carried by said carriage, a shaft mounted between said standards at the upper end of said frame, hooks carried by said shaft for engagementwith said eye members, and a handle connected with said shaft to move said hooks into and out of engagement with said eye members.

i. A post hole digging machine including a platform, a frame comprising a pair of spaced standards having their lower ends removably secured to said platform, removable bearings secured to said standards, a removable cross bar connected to the upper end of said standards above said bearings,

a shaft mounted in said bearings, hooks car-.

ricd by said shaft, an anger carriage mounted for vertical moven'ient upon said standards and adapted at times to be suspended from said hooks, a pair of inclined braces having their lower-ends connected with said platform and their upper ends connected with the bearings on said standards. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' BUTLER M. JONES.

Witnesses: Roscoe C. Jones, Sn, A. A; HOPKINS. 

